HBO labor doc.

[Peter K.]

[Anyone see this? I thought it was excellent TV, although maybe a little too pro Hoffa.
They did mention the TDU and the civil war that is going on inside the Teamsters,
although Hoffa won the election last year by a 2 to 1 margin. The Times's Steven
Greenhouse adds some context, along with a Cornell labor professor and some others.]

http://www.hbo.com/americaundercover/americanstandoff/synopsis.html

"American Standoff is about a do-or-die strike by the International Brotherhood of Teamsters against
the nation's largest non-union trucking company, Overnite Transportation. October 1999. Upset with
management's decision to scale back hours and reduce employee benefits, drivers at the non-union
Overnite Transportation go on strike. In four terminals - Atlanta, Memphis, Long Island and
Chicago - union organizers arrive to recruit strikers. James P. Hoffa (son of the legendary Jimmy
Hoffa, the man who made the teamsters the largest, richest and most powerful union in America) was
elected president of the Teamsters earlier in the year. Hoffa vowed during his campaign that his
"top priority" would be the Overnite situation.

The strike begins, and workers hit the picket line for what they hope will be a quick resolution,
but three weeks pass, then three months, now over two years. As the strike drags on into winter, we
come to know several men and women on the picket line. In Atlanta we meet Joe Reeves, who has worked
for Overnite since he was 18, considers Overnite his family, and yet is still committed to a strike.
In Long Island we are introduced to Mike Ferriolo, who feels discriminated against because of his
union views. In Chicago, we meet Hope Hampleman, the only female tractor-trailer driver out of 75
Overland workers. Although concerned about the strike's financial impact on her family (she's a
single mom with five kids), Hope sees no recourse.

The strikers' initial resolve is eroded by lost pay, the sight of co-workers crossing the line...
and endless waiting. Though the Teamsters help many striking workers get replacement jobs, the
strike takes its toll on even diehard union members. To this day the strike remains unresolved.

Produced by two-time Academy Award winner® Barbara Kopple, American Standoff takes a riveting,
behind-the-scenes look at the trials and tribulations of the strike and ultimately speaks to the
state of the labor movement in this country today."

Peter